Dispensing mechanism for strip material



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I FIIE BY c Dec. 18, 1962 J. c. LAYTON DISPENSING MECHANISM FOR STRIP MATERIAL Filed 006. 12, 1959 Dec. 18, 1962 J. c. LAYTON 3,069,214

DISPENSING MECHANISM FOR STRIP MATERIAL Filed 001;. 12, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5.

INVENTOR. J. 6. LA YTON "United States Patent Office 3,069,214 Patented Dec. 18, 1962 3,069,214 DISPENSING MECHANHSM FOR STRIP MATERIAL J. C. Layton, La Habra, Calif assignor to Towlsaver, Inc, Los Angeles, Calif, a corporation of California Filed Oct. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 845,990 2 Claims. (Cl. 312--39) This invention relates to a dispenser for strip material in roll form and more particularly, to a dispenser adapted to dispense such strip materials as paper towels and the like.

Dispensers of the character of that in which the present invention is embodied are usually mounted on the wall of a washroom or other room accessible to the public or to employees of the establishment in which the room is located. As a result, such dispensers are exposed to large numbers of people, some of whom may be inclined to tamper with the dispenser and attempt to damage the operating mechanism thereof.

In addition, since the dispenser of my invention is characterized by the fact that it automatically limits the amount of toweling dispensed therefrom, attempts are frequently made to obtain a greater supply of toweling than will automatically be issued from the dispenser. Such attempts ordinarily result in the wastage of toweling and the disabling of the dispenser, thus preventing the dispenser from supplying toweling to subsequent users thereof.

It is,'therefore, an object of my invention to provide a dispenser for strip material in roll form, such as toweling or the like, which is characterized by the incorporation therein of a dispensing mechanism which will ordinarily deliver a predetermined amount of toweling and which will prevent a user thereof from obtaining an unduly large supply of toweling by circumventing the dispensing control incorporated in the dispensing mechanism.

Individuals attempting to cause the dispenser to dispense a larger amount of toweling than ordinarily permitted usually place their hand under the outlet opening of the dispenser and permit a large amount of toweling to accumulate at the outlet opening. Such large amounts of toweling are frequently wasted or discarded by the person attempting to circumvent the dispensing mechanism of the dispenser.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a dispenser of the aforementioned character wherein the dispensing mechanism includes means which will automatically prevent further dispensing of toweling when a mass of toweling accumulates in the outlet opening of the dispenser due to the fact that a user has placed his hand below the outlet opening.

Another object of my invention is the provision, in a dispenser of the aforementioned character, of a dispensing mechanism characterized by the inclusion of a dispensing roller which is controlled by rotation limiting means adapted to momentarily limit the rotation of said dispensing roller and which has an automatic limiting means associated therewith adapted to limit the amount of toweling dispensed when the rotation limiting means is overriden by a person utilizing the dispenser.

A further object of my invention is the provision, in a dispenser of the aforementioned character, of limiting means constituted by a back-up plate and roller which are pivotally mounted adjacent the outlet opening of the dispenser and which are spring-biased into engagement with a strip of toweling being dispensed by the dispensing roller.

When a mass of toweling accumulates at the outlet opening of the dispenser, the back-up plate and the associated back-up roller are biased outwardly against the action of an associated spring to prevent the dispensing roller from discharging additional amounts of toweling.

This is attributable to the fact that when the back-up toweling.

roller is moved outwardly the dispensing roller cannot maintain an adequate frictional engagement with the adjacent length of toweling. Thus, the dispensing roller rotates freely and dispensing of toweling will be suspended until the mass of toweling accumulating in the outlet opening of the dispenser is released and falls downwardly out of the outlet opening to release the pressure on the backup plate.

When this occurs, the back-up plate is urged in a direction toward the dispensing roller by the associated spring and the back-up roller once again engages the adjacent surface of the toweling being dispensed to bias said toweling into engagement with the perimeter of the dispensing roller. Therefore, upon rotation of the dispensing roller the toweling will once again be discharged through the outlet opening of the dispenser.

Occasionally, when a length of toweling is torn from the strip depending through the outlet opening of the dispenser, an angular rather than a straight tear is made and it sometimes happens that the torn extremity of the roll of toweling becomes dislodged from operative engagement with the dispensing roller and the back-up roller.

In order to avoid this contingency I provide retention means associated with the back-up plate whereby the torn extremity of the roll of toweling is maintained in operative relationship with the dispensing roller and thus the possibility that the dispensing roller may lose its frictional engagement with the depending extremity of the torn strip of toweling is eliminated.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, which are for the purpose of illustration only and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a roll toweling dispenser constructed in accordance with the teachings of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the broken line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view showing the dispensing limiting means of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a front, elevational view showing the dispenser in open condition and the operative relationship between the dispensing limiting means and the dispensing roller of the invention.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1-2 thereof, I show a dispenser 10 for roll paper toweling, said dispenser being incorporated in a housing 12 which is constituted by a fixed enclosure portion '14 and a movable cover 16 whose lower extremity is hingedly connected, as at 18, to the front lower portion of the enclosure portion 14 of the housing 12.

Located within the housing 12 and supported on the opposite side walls 22 and 24 of the enclosure portion 14 thereof are bearings 26 and 28 adapted to be received in the opposite extremities of a roll 30 of paper A length 32 of toweling is adapted to be dispensed through an outlet opening 34 in the bottom of the housing enclosure portion 14. The opening 34 has its rearward limit defined by a baffle plate 36 extending between the side walls 22 and 24 of the enclosure portion 14.

Mounted in the lower extremity of the enclosure portion 14 of the housing 12 is a towel dispensing mechanism indicated generally at 40, said towel dispensing mechanism being adapted, in a manner described in greater detail below, to accomplish the dispensing of predetermined lengths of toweling. The towel dispensing mechanism 40 includes a rotatable shaft 42 whose opposite extremities are respectively supported on the opposite side walls 22 and 24. The right-hand extremity of the shaft 42, as best shown in PEG. 3 of the drawings, projects through an opening 44 in the right-hand wall 22 of the enclosure portion 14 of the housing 12 and has an actuating handle 46 secured thereupon and adapted to accomplish the rotation thereof. The actuating handle 46 may be formed from plastic or the like and has a die-cast insert 48 which is secured to the shaft 42 by means of a set screw 50. I

Mounted on the inner extremity of the insert 48 is a rota-tion control element 52 which, as best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, incorporates a dogging lug 54 adapted to be engaged by a dog 56 to prevent more than one rotation of the shaft 42 during a dispensing cycle. In other words, when the shaft 42 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by the arrow 58, the lug 54 of the rotation control element 52 will engage the right-hand extremity of the dog 56 after one cycle of rotation. To release the dog 56 it is necessary to rotate the rotation control element 52 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 of the drawings, whereupon a lug 60 on the rotation control element 52 will engage the left-hand extremity of the dog 56 to draw the righthand extremity of the dog 56 out of the path of movetnent of the lug 54 on the rotation control element 52. The rotation control element 52 and the dog 56 thus constitute the rotation control means 59 of the dispensing mechanism and prevent unlimited dispensing of toweling from the roll 30 through the outlet opening 34.

Mounted on the shaft 42 intermediate its extremities is a dispensing roller 62 which has a rubber traction sleeve 64 disposed thereupon and engageable with the adjacent area of a length 32 of paper toweling to be dispensed from the roll 30, as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings. Therefore, when the handle 46 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2 of the drawings, corresponding counter-clockwise rotation of the roller 62 will take place to cause a length 32 of toweling to be withdrawn from the roll if the length 32 is frictiorially engaged upon the traction sleeve 64.

d To accomplish such frictional engagement of the length 32 of toweling upon the perimeter of the roll mounted sleeve 64, I provide dispensing limiting means indicated generally at 70 in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings. The dispensing limiting means 70 includes a back-up plate 72 formed from sheet metal or the like and provided with right-angularly bent extremities 74 which are pivotally mounted adjacent the juxtaposed walls 22 and 24 by means of pivot pins 76. The lower extremity 78 of the plate 72 is serrated, as best shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings, to provide a tearing edge for the strip 32 of toweling ibeing dispensed through the outlet opening 34. It will be noted that the back-up plate constitutes the forward wall of the dispensing outlet 34 and that the lower extremity 78 of the plate 72 is bent rearwardly toward the baffle plate 36 to provide for impingement of the strip 32 upon said serrated lower extremity.

An opening 30 is formed in the back-up plate 72 intermediate its extremities and adjacent the upper edge of the plate 72, which is right-angularly bent at 82, and integral lugs 84 are provided at the opposite ends of the opening for mounting a shaft 86 which supports a back-up roller 88 which has a portion of its circumference protruding through the opening 80 in the back-up plate 72.

A pair of leaf springs 90 serves to bias the back-up plate 72 and the associated back-up roller 68 in a direction toward the dispensing roller 62 to force the strip 32 of toweling to be dispensed into frictional engagement with the traction sleeve 64 of the dispensing roller 62.

Therefore, during normal operation of the dispensing roller 62 of the strip 32 is intermittently discharged through the outlet opening 34 by the rota-tion of the handle 46 and the concomitant rotation of the shaft 42, dispensing roller 62 and back-up roller 88. During a dispensing operation the rotation control means 59 constituted by the rotation control element 52 and the associated dog 56 limits the length of the strip 32 dispensed and reversal of the handle 4-6 must be accomplished to dislodge the dog 56 from operative engagement with the lug 54 on the rotation control element 52 before an additional dispensing cycle can be accomplished in the maner described above. It should be noted that, while the handle 46 is fixed directly to the righthand extremity of the shaft 42, which necessitates counter-clockwise rotation of the handle 46 toward the person using the dispenser 10, it is possible, by a simple gearing arrangement, not shown, to accomplish counterclockwise rotation of the dispensing roller 62 while obtaining clockwise rotation of the handle 46 in a direction away from the user of the dispenser 19.

As in all devices which are intended for use by the public, the dispenser 10 is exposed to vandalism and tampering which results largely from an attempt to obtain more toweling from the dispenser 10 than is discharged in a single dispensing cycle. For instance, rapid rotation of the handle 46 and reversal thereof will be resorted to in order to obtain a strip 32 of toweling of greater length than ordinarily dispensed.

customarily, the individual manipulating the dispenser 10 in such a manner will hold his hand under the outlet opening 34 of the dispenser and the toweling will accumulate in said opening between the baffle plate 36 and the back-up plate 72. As the paper accumulates it will force the back-up plate 72 to the left, as viewed in FIG. 4 of the drawings, and thus release the back-up roller 88 from operative engagement with the strip of toweling entrained upon the traction sleeve 64 on the dispensing roller 62.

Such release of the back-up roller 88 from operative engagement with the strip 32 of toweling being dispensed will release the strip of toweling from operative engagement with the traction sleeve 64 on the dispensing roller 62 and further dispensing of toweling will be terminated until the individual tampering with the dispenser 10 removes the toweling from the outlet opening 34 and thus permits the springs to urge the back-up plate 72 and the back-up roller 88 mounted therein into engagement with the toweling to re-establish frictional engagement of the traction sleeve 64 with said toweling.

In the process of tearing a strip 32 of toweling depending through the outlet opening 34 from the remaining portion of the strip by causing it to impinge on the serrated lower extremity 78 of the back-up plate 72, an unequal and jagged tear may be made in the strip 32 which may extend upwardly beyond the bite between the dispensing roller traction sleeve 64 and the back-up roller 88. Ordinarily, this would release the unevenly torn extremity of the toweling from operative engagement with the dispensing roller traction sleeve 64 and thus prevent further dispensing of toweling from the dispenser 10.

In order to eliminate the possibility of such cessation of the dispensing operation, I provide strip retention means 1% in conjunction with the back-up plate 72, said rip retention means being constituted by a resilient finger 162 which is riveted, or otherwise secured, to the right-angularly bent upper edge 82 of the back-up plate 72. Therefore, should a jagged tear occur which extends above the bite between the back-up roller 83 and the dispensing roller traction sleeve 64, the finger 102 will maintain the frictional engagement of the torn edge of the toweling with the traction sleeve 64 to a sufficient extent to cause the frictional grip of said traction sleeve to be maintained on the strip of toweling. Therefore, initial rotation of the traction sleeve 64 by the shaft 42 will cause the torn edge to be carried downwardly into the bite between the traction sleeve 64 and the back-up roller 88 and thus initiate the dispensing of a strip 32 of toweling from the dispensing outlet.

One of the problems encountered in servicing dispensers of the character of that under consideration here is that a roll of toweling in the dispenser will not be completely exhausted at the time of servicing and yet so nearly exhausted that another full roll must be inserted to insure that an adequate supply will be maintained in the dispenser until the next visit of the servicernan. On occasion, a nearly exhausted roll will be discarded or permitted to remain in the machine with consequent failure of the machine to supply toweling to subsequent users.

In order to avoid this contingency, I provide an auxiliary receptacle 110 within the enclosure portion 14 of the housing 12, as best shown in FIG. 2, said auxiliary receptacle being defined by the baffle plate 36 which constitutes the rearward limit of the outlet opening 34 and defines the bottom 112 of the enclosure portion '14 of the housing 10. Therefore, a partially exhausted roll 116 of toweling can be located in the auxiliary receptacle 110 while a complete roll 30 is supported on the bearings 26 and '28 and both strips of toweling threaded between the dispensing roll traction sleeve 64 and the back-up roller 88. Until the partially exhausted roll is completely dispensed the users of the dispenser will receive two strips of toweling which will discourage the repetition of the dispensing cycle until the partially exhausted roll 116 is completely utilized. In this manner complete utilization of partially exhausted rolls can be achieved and the wasteful discarding thereof is eliminated. Furthermore, the provision of an adequate supply of toweling within the dispenser 10 is assured.

I thus provide a dispensing mechanism and dispenser which are characterized by the provision of dispensing limiting means adapted to prevent continued dispensing of toweling when the dispenser is exposed to tampering and vandalism in an attempt to obtain an excessive supply of toweling. In addition, the occasional cessation of dispensing of toweling attributable to improperly torn strips of toweling is eliminated by the provision of the strip retention means incorporated in the dispensing mechanism. Moreover, the provision of an auxiliary receptacle for a partially exhausted roll of toweling insures the economical disposition of the toweling remaining upon such partially exhausted rolls and the adequate supplying of the dispenser with a full roll of toweling.

I claim:

1. In a dispensing mechanism for strip material in roll form adapted to be embodied in a dispenser housing hav-\ ing a dispensing outlet in its underside, the combination of: a dispensing roller engageable with said strip and disposable above and in spaced relationship with said outlet; a mounting plate having pivotal supports engageable with said housing; and a back-up roller on said plate for urging said strip against said dispensing roller, said plate defining a dispensing throat which opens downwardly toward said dispensing outlet whereby, when said outlet is jammed by an accumulation of said strip, said plate will be displaced by said accumulation in a direction away from said dispensing roller to prevent further dispensing of said strip.

2. In a dispensing mechanism for strip material in roll form adapted to be embodied in a dispenser housing having a dispensing outlet in its underside, the combination of: a dispensing roller engageable with said strip and disposable above and in spaced relationship with said outlet; a mounting plate having pivotal supports engageable with said housing; a back-up roller on said plate for urging said strip against said dispensing roller; and spring means engageable with said plate for urging said plate and back-up roller toward said dispensing roller, said plate defining a dispensing throat which opens downwardly toward said dispensing outlet whereby, when said outlet is jammed by an accumulation of said strip, said plate will be displaced by said accumulation in a direction away from said dispensing roller to prevent further dispensing of said strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,712,934 Layton et a1 July 12, 1955 2,740,581 Komusin Apr. 3, 1956 2,973,958 Casey et al Mar. 7, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,061,960 France Apr. 16, 1954 

